Toils and Troubles in Xinjiang Province

From Golmud, which was a delicious surprise (we may be the sole travellers who find that Golmud is a charming city (of course, charming to China standards, do not expect to find Siena in Golmud), we continued our trip towards Xining and the end of the voyage. But we should not skip of course, the Koko Nor (Blue Sea in Mongol), so we look how to reach the lake from Golmud, and Dulan was only a speck in the map, but conveniently placed, so, we decided to stop there. And we left Golmud in bus, under heavy rain. We almost did not see anything of the countryside, which should be beautiful.

This is essentially what we saw: a bus stop, in the middle of nowhere. Stop was to pee, and toilets were at the other side of the shops, just a ditch next to the rear wall, open to the cleaning winds of the steppe.

And this is what we did not saw, because we almost did not see anything other than fogged windows hiding fogged peaks.

But when we reached Dulan, skies opened over a small city by all standards, (even European ones), with a mixed population of Chinese Han and Mongols, and thriving with life. A one man and his wife circus, with a very bored ñandu performed in a square, in the other small electric cars full of lights like wheeled Christmas Trees were on rent for kids. Everybody was on the streets, temperature was mild for Dulan (around 12 to 15 degrees). Average temperatures in winter are between and average high of -2 and an average low of -17

All restaurants had the same menu, the Mongol pot. The pot represented the ying and the yang, one hot as hell, the other… well, less hot.

Next day we just strolled on the streets, the city is 3200 m above sea level. so air was clear (finally, it was the first time since we landed in Kashgar, two weeks ago, that we are able to sea a clear sky, in which peaks cut the landscape like scalpels

And finally, there was some kind of school festival, and kids were dressed in folk costumes

and not only kids

Advice to travellers… there is nothing to see there, but a good (although cold) place to relax. Safety is absolute, hotels are OK

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